For the spring/summer of 1999 An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx presented, 'Dreaming', chapter two of the Nightfall biography in which the designers explored six stages of human life. They believed emotions and souls were the most important values of life as they are reflective of the pure state of being. Their collection was displayed on hospital beds, where models lay in eerie stillness, evoking vulnerability and uncertainty of the show to come. In this unconventional setting, last minute adjustments were impossible; the designers reliquished control allowing their creations to exist fully exposed to their audience.
With a flickering light signalling their awakening, the models and the garments emerged from their sleep-like state. Delicate thin cottons and fragile silks draped each body. Garments also featured the signature red crosses that symbolized the brand for years to come. It is famously known that An and Filip both met on the first day of school while studying at the royal academy of fine arts Antwerp. Here they both discovered they both collected pieces of the red cross. The collection featured simple and wearable silhouettes. While maintaining an air of chicness.
Asymmetrical collar shirts, corset like lacings and layers only added to the collections brilliance. A.F. Aandevorst’s show was not just a presentation but a poetic exploration of beauty in stillness. The state of the body in its most pure and uncontrolled state of being. A collection that blurred the lines between fashion shows and performance art.
Words: Ana Santos
Research: Ana Santos
